A4O-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 30,2002
Fuel Expert: Using Ag By-Products For Energy Making More Sense
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Using agricultural by
products as an energy source
these days is making more eco
nomic sense, according to a fuels
expert in Penn State’s College of
Agricultural Sciences. But “bio
mass” is not free, he points out.
“We have the opportunity to
use biomass generally defined
as organic matter including
wood, agricultural crops, crop
residues and animal manures
to produce several types of fuel,”
says Dennis Buffington, professor
of agricultural engineering. “But
we can no longer think of these
materials as free.”
Although energy prices have
stabilized this year, there are in
creased concerns about the price
and availability of energy in vari
ous forms, notes Buffington.
“Just one year ago, we were fac
New York Beef Producers
Schedule Bull Test Sale
SYRACUSE, N.Y. The New
York Beef Producers Association
(NYBPA) is facilitating a Central
Bull Testing Program as a tool
for evaluating and merchandis
ing potential herd sires.
Following a 112-day feeding
period, the top indexing bulls will
be presented for sale on April 27
at the NYS Fairgrounds in Syra
cuse. The 56 bulls, representing
eight breeds, are being fed and
managed at Erwindale Farm in
Waterloo, N.Y.
The purpose of a Central Test
ing Program is to:
• Compare individual per
formance of potential herd sires
• Provide an opportunity for
seedstock producers to market
individual bulls
• Provide a source of bulls for
commercial and seedstock herds
and
• Provide an educational op
portunity for sellers and buyers
alike.
After 56 days on test, the cu
mulative average daily gain was
2.95 pounds, the weight per day
of age is 2.50 pounds.
Not all bulls that complete the
test will be sold. Of the 56 bulls
consigned, only 40 will sell. Bulls
will not be allowed to sell if they
fail the following two exams:
• Reproductive soundness.
Each bull will undergo an inter
nal and external exam by a veter
inarian to evaluate his potential
to breed females. A passing score
indicates that from a reproduc
tive standpoint, he is determined
structurally fit to breed. Libido,
which is his desire to find and
service females in heat, will not
be determined, nor will semen be
evaluated, as the results are in-
ing energy prices of over $2 a gal
lon for gasoline, natural gas
prices approaching $25 per 1,000
cubic feet and home heating fuel
of $1.40 a gallon in some mar
kets,” he says. “Considering the
terrorist attacks last September
and the continuing terrorist
threats, we are now even more
committed to reducing our vul
nerability to world events by de
creasing our dependence on im
ports of overseas petroleum.”
Examples of biomass include
ethanol produced from shelled
com, biodiesel from organic oils
(derived from plants, animals
and spent cooking oil), methane
from digesting animal manures,
ethanol from “cellulosic” plant
materials and methane from
landfill gases.
There are benefits in addition
to the fuels produced, including
conclusive on young bulls.
• Structural soundness. A
herd sire is expected to travel a
lot of ground to fulfill his duties
in a short breeding season.
Therefore bulls will be evaluated
for defects in feet and leg struc
ture that may inhibit their ability
to service cows. As this evalua
tion can be subjective in nature,
leaving it open to criticism, it will
be completed by an individual
with no direct ties to the consign
ors or the NYBPA.
Those that pass the above tests
will be ranked by an index which
takes into consideration average
daily gain (ADG), weight per day
of age (WDA), ultrasound mea
sured backfat (BF), intramuscu
lar fat (IMF) and ribeye area
(REA). These factors will be
weighted to represent the relative
importance to the commercial in
dustry: ADG, WDA and REA
will make up 90 percent of the
index, the remaining 10 percent
to be placed on BF and IMF.
Bulls that rank 90 or better will
be eligible for sale.
Following the bull sale, 29 Em
pire Heifer Development Pro
gram certified heifers, and some
select purebred females and club
calves, will be offered for sale.
This will be an excellent opportu
nity to improve the genetics of an
existing herd or begin a herd with
some of the best cattle to be of
fered in the northeast.
To receive a sale catalog, or for
more information, contact BUI
MUler, bull
test manag-
er, at (585)
750-4663.
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Backed
By
by-products that often can be
used for animal feed, organic fer
tilizers and soil amendments,
points out Buffington. And there
is always the potential for cre
ating jobs and spurring economic
development in the communities
where these processing facilities
are located.
“Unfortunately, many analyses
of the economic benefits of pro
ducing ethanol from cellulosic
plant materials often regard the
cellulose as free,” he says.
“Whether we are talking about
straw, com stover, corncobs or
other crop residue, these materi
als are anything but ‘free’.”
Obvious expenses, according to
Buffington, include the labor,
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equipment and fuel costs for har
vesting these biomass materials,
transporting the low-density ma
terials to a central facility for
producing the fuel and storing
the materials for use in off-sea
son.
“Less obvious expenses include
increased soil compaction be
cause of more equipment traffic
on the fields, increased soil ero
sion because of the loss of vegeta
tive cover, increased need for fer
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tilizer and herbicides for the next
cycle of crops, decreased mois
ture-holding capacity of the soil,
and decreased food and shelter
for wildlife,” he says.
“Obviously it’s difficult to
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costs of utilizing crop residues,
such as soil compaction, soil loss
and wildlife habitat,” Buffington
adds. “Direct costs of utilizing
crop residues can be established
for factors including labor, equip
ment and fuel.”
Producers also need to consid
er that the crop residue has an
opportunity cost from other com
petitive uses such as livestock
bedding, landscape mulch, fiber
board and insulation.
“In all analyses, we must al
ways include the economic costs
and the environmental implica
tions associated with utilizing
crop residues to produce fuel,”
says Buffington.
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